II - Methodology and sample

The current study conducted telephone interviews with 86 individuals from 53 workplaces across Canada (see Appendix A for a list of participating workplaces and unions). The questionnaire (see Appendix B) asked respondents to describe the motivations of their workplaces for starting basic skills programs; the ways in which their workplaces organize the programs; and the impact of the programs on the workplaces. Respondents were also asked about barriers to starting programs. The interviews took between 20 and 60 minutes and were conducted between February and April of 1997.

Key literacy representatives from each province and one territory(3) provided ABC CANADA with the lists of workplaces for the study (Table 1). Ninety-three percent of the eligible workplaces contacted were able to participate. The study includes workplaces from a diverse range of workplace types (Figure 1) sizes (Figure 2), and communities (Figure 3). Every attempt was made to interview both an employer and an employee representative in each workplace. Forty-one percent of respondents were employee representatives and 59% were company representatives. The workplace programs were delivered by a wide range of deliverers (Figure 4). All but three of the programs had been running for at least a year at the time of the interviews.

TABLE 1
How many workplaces from each province and territory
are included?

PROVINCE
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Prince Edward Island
Newfoundland
Quebec*
Ontario
Manitoba
Saskatchewan
Alberta
British Columbia
North West Territories

COUNT
3
2
2
2
10
15
4
3
4
7
1